Daring motorcycle stunt renacted on a Snowdonia hillside

A death-defying motorcycle stunt accomplished once by lost Everest mountaineer Sandy Irvine has been re-enacted for a new musical celebrating his life

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A death-defying motorcycle stunt accomplished by a mountaineer in Snowdonia has been re-enacted for a new musical celebrating his life.

Ice Picks and Violets, a biography of George Mallory and Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine will be the centrepiece of the evening entertainment programme at this year's Barmoth Walking Festival in September.

Mallory and Irvine both lived in Birkenhead and left for a fateful expedition to try and conquer Everest in 1924, never to return.

Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine rode a motorcycle up a Snowdonian mountain in 1924

Mystery still surrounds their disappearance, and fierce debate still rages as to whether they made the summit of Everest or not.

Prior to his legendary disappearance Irvine, who often holidayed in North Wales with his family, acquired a motorcycle and it wasn’t long before he was planning a stunt that is still talked of today in Bethesda.

Dean Johnson, the producer of Ice Picks and Violets believes this madcap undertaking was pivotal to Irvine being invited to join the Everest team.

He said: “At 976m, Foel Grach is within the highest and most desolate land mass outside Scotland, with an overall gradient of 7.5%. He would have fallen off numerous times, but eventually rather than concede defeat, Irvine incredibly must have carried the motorbike to the top.

“I wanted to capture this moment as a backdrop to be used during the show. I was a biker in my youth and I thought I would give it a go, so last month, my photographer and I set out at dawn to recreate Irvine’s mud lark.

“I borrowed a vintage Triumph Bonneville bike and I gave it my best shot.

“There was a lot of snow about, and I spent most of my time under the bike. It’s a miracle that I wasn’t badly hurt, but it gave me an idea of the physical stamina that Irvine must have possessed.”

Foel Grach is a mountain in the Carneddau range of Snowdonia

Pictures taken during the re-enactment will be projected during the show which will shown at the Dragon Theatre on

The musical biography aims to shed some light on what might have happened in the climbers’ last moments.

It is to be narrated by iconic mountaineer Doug Scott, who as part of Chris Bonington’s 1975 expedition was the first British climber to reach the summit of Everest. The mountain was conquered using the same route chosen by Mallory and Irvine.

Johnson added: “I am so proud and excited to bring two more Wirral legends to the stage. That Doug Scott has agreed to narrate the show is such an honour.”

Ice Picks and Violets will be performed during the Barmouth Walking Festival 2015 at the Dragon Theatre on Saturday, September 12.